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Table of ContentsLinda's LetterWho We Are Names of God Bible Study Yahweh Tzva'ot (Sabaoth) |
For Me, To Live Is Christ When God Paints The Gloves Christ Wears From Alienation to Reconciliation Fearlessly Facing Eternity Not Without Pain Walking Dirt Imitating God He Gives Symptoms For the Children Quick Jokes Pages to Color They Walk Among Us Stained Glass Funny Headlines Stewardship Musings of an Idle Mind |
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Greetings, dear friends & family! I'm a cat person. I can't help myself. I just love cats! They not only bring me a lot of joy, but they keep me humble. I have a cat here in India, Samson, who is the love of my life. But he's like all other cats — demanding, spoiled, and self-centered. I click and cluck and smooch and pat my leg and call him all the cute little names I can think of, trying to get him to come to me. And much of the time, he refuses to even acknowledge my existence. BUT.... when he wants something from me, then I'm supposed to jump up and wait on him hand-and-foot! And sigh(!) I usually do — not because he deserves it, but because I love him that much and I want him to be happy — and I want him to want to be with me.... That made me think about how God must feel sometimes. Much in the same way as I do with Samson, God smooches, whispers, and calls me all those pet names that only He and I know, inviting me to come and sit at His feet or even climb up on His lap. But sadly, sometimes the cares of this world are so overwhelming that I barely hear His voice above all the noise and bustle around me — let alone respond. That thought brought me to my knees in tears. To think, the King of the universe wants to spend time with me! He wants me to sit with Him . . . . to curl up on His lap and let Him wrap His arms around me . . . . to put my frail, trembling hand in His and let HIM be my strength . . . . to nestle so close that I can hear His heartbeat.... WHY?!? Why does this awesome, bigger-than-life God of all creation want a relationship with me??? It certainly isn't because I'm good. Most of the time, I'm not. He knows that. There's no sense in pretending otherwise. I am not a good person! As the Apostle Paul wrote: "For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing (Romans 7:18a)." Oh sure, I do some good things sometimes, but if God's love and desire for me depended on my goodness, then I'd be doomed from the start! And sadly, so would you.... No.... thankfully, God's love doesn't depend on our goodness. The simple truth — the one woven throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation — is that God doesn't love us because we're good. He loves us because HE's good!! He defines "good"! He delights in you and me! It pleases Him to bless us! In fact, the Bible says that God's love for you and me is so intense, so extravagant, so outrageous, that it pleased Him for Jesus to go to the cross for us (Isaiah 53:10), and that even while we were sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)! He wants to freely give us all things! He wants us to take refuge in Him. He loves to see us happy, and He hurts when you and I hurt. He wants to be your Healer . . . . your Savior . . . . your Deliverer . . . . your Provider . . . . your King . . . . your Lord. He wants to be your Father . . . . your All-in-All. In God's "kitchen", there's a dish with your name on it. It contains all the nourishment and refreshment your weary soul needs — and more. You don't have to do somersaults or jump through hoops. You don't have to be "good" or follow someone's list of rules. All you have to do to get Him to serve His heavenly manna of love, mercy, and grace to you is ask! that salvation lies outside ourselves?" Martin Luther  Be blessed in Jesus' name, and remember: Christianity isn't about going to church; it's about coming to Christ!
Your sister & servant in Christ,  My Redeemer Lives Christian Ministry Because of the volume of e-mail I receive, it is impossible for me to respond to every person who writes. If you have an opinion or question, please understand that I will not offer personal advice or debate theological issues. You are welcome to send your opinions, corrections and questions, but I can't guarantee I'll be able to respond. If you're looking for some good Bible study sources, I recommend: Bible.org — Trustworthy Bible Study Resources, Blue Letter Bible Study Resources, Christian Courses by RBC Ministries, Precept Ministries International, In Touch Ministries, Shepherd Serve, Today In the Word, Today's Turning Point, all of which offer hundreds of pages of well-organized teaching articles, Bible studies, and/or daily email devotionals. |
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Yahweh Tzva'ot (Sabaoth) "Let them praise the name of the LORD: for His Name alone is excellent; His glory [is] above the earth and heaven." Psalm 148:13 (KJV) Editor's Note: As there is considerable variance among Bible scholars as to former customs, usage, and translations of the numerous names of God in the Bible, the neutrality and factual accuracy of this article may be disputed. These studies are a summation of those ideas and conclusions on which most scholars agree. Yahweh Tzva'ot (Sabaoth, Sabbaoth) - The LORD of Hosts (of Armies) / Lord of Powers Pronounced Yä-wá' (or Yä-vá') Sa-bâ'ôt, the name derives from sabaôth, which means "armies" or "hosts". Thus, Yahweh Tzva'ot — or "YHWH Elohe Sebaot" as some passages render it — can be translated "Yahweh of Armies/Hosts" or "Yahweh God of Armies/Hosts". These two names denote Yahweh's total sovereignty over all heavenly, demonic, and earthly armies. The compound name appears more than 285 times in the Old Testament, primarily in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, as well as many times in the Psalms. Interestingly, the name never appears in the Torah (the first five books). The name Yahweh-Sabaoth appears first in connection with the cult center at Shiloh:
 Click here for a print-friendly copy of this Bible study. The names God has used to reveal Himself to humankind represent His power, actions, and reputation. The Almighty cannot be conjured or treated as an object, as He is the Master of the universe and is neither subject to nor dependent on anyone. The Bible strictly forewarns us not to invoke the name of God for selfish or manipulative purposes. The materials provided here are for educational purposes only and are not intended to offer some sort of mystical insight into the Divine nature of Almighty God. Sources for this study include: Believe Religious Information Source Lambert Dolphin's Library Precept Ministries "The Names of God" by J. Hampton Keathley III To view all of the "Names of God" studies to date, go to www.myredeemerlives.com/biblestudies/namesofgodstudy.html. Back to top |
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has specially armed you to go through it, not without pain but without stain." C. S. Lewis Back to top |
Paul was a great admirer of Christ. He desired to know nothing but Christ, and Him crucified. "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain!" Philippians 1:21 "For to me, to live is Christ." That is, "Christ is my life!" Or thus, "My life is made up of Christ." As a wicked man's life is made up of sin, so Paul's life was made up of Christ — he was full of Christ. That I may give you the sense of the text more fully, take it in these three particulars: [1] "For to me, to live is Christ," that is — Christ is the PRINCIPLE of my life. I fetch my spiritual life from Christ, as the branch fetches its sap from the root. "Christ lives in me." Gal 2:20. Jesus Christ sends forth life into me, to quicken me to every holy action. Thus, Christ is the principle of my life; from His fullness I live — as the branch lives from the root. [2] "For to me, to live is Christ," that is — Christ is the END of my life. I live not for myself — but for Christ. All my living, is to do service to Christ. "Whether we live, we live unto the Lord." Rom 14:8. We lay out ourselves wholly for Christ. The design of our life is to exalt Christ, and to make the crown upon His head flourish. In this sense, Christ is the end of my life — when my whole life is a living for Christ. [3] "For to me, to live is Christ," that is — Christ is the JOY of my life. Psalm 43:4, "God my exceeding joy," or the cream of my joy. A Christian can rejoice in Christ, when worldly joys are gone. When the tulip in a garden withers — a man still rejoices in his jewels which are locked up in the house. Just so — when worldly joys are gone — a saint can rejoice in Christ, the pearl of great price. In this sense, Christ is the joy of my life — if Christ were gone, my life would be a death to me. "For to me, to live is Christ!" Christ is the principle of my life, the end of my life, the joy of my life. If we can say, "For to me, to live is Christ," we may comfortably conclude, "and to die is gain!" Received from Grace Gems (choice electronic books, sermons, and quotes) Back to top |
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I was at the checkout of a K-Mart. The clerk rang up $46.64 charge. I gave her a Fifty-dollar bill. She gave me back $46.64. I gave the money back to her and told her that she had made a mistake in my favor. She became indignant and informed me she was educated and knew what she was doing, and returned the money again. I gave her the money back again . . . same scenario! I departed the store with the $46.64. This actually happened in Austin at MoPac Boulevard and Parmer Lane. I walked into a Starbucks with a buy-one-get-one-free coupon for a Grande Latte. I handed it to the girl with my two lattes, and she looked over at a little chalkboard that said "buy one — get one free." "They're already buy-one-get-one-free," she said, "so I guess they're both free." She handed me my free lattes and I walked out the door. One day I was walking down the beach with some friends when one of them shouted, "Look at that dead bird!" Someone looked up at the sky and said, "Where?" While looking at a house, my brother asked the real estate agent which direction was north because, he explained, he didn't want the sun waking him up every morning. She asked, "Does the sun rise in the north?" When my brother explained that the sun rises in the east — and has for some time — she shook her head and said, "Oh, I don't keep up with that stuff." |
The following photographs are the third set in a series of 10 photos I'm sharing with you that beautifully portray our loving Father's handiwork in nature. Enjoy!  .. Contributed by Christine Lichtenberg Back to top |
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And what is dust? The son of nothing! You who are so proud, behold your pedigree — you are but walking dirt!" Thomas Watson (1620-1686), Puritan Preacher & Author Back to top |
"And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit." Acts 13:52 (NIV) Major Ian Thomas, the British evangelist, speaks of the powerlessness of a glove. If your glove is lying on the table, you can command it to do things all day, and it's helpless to obey. It just lies there uselessly. But when you fill the glove with your hand, that glove can do anything you can do. It can grasp a hammer, steer a car, shake a hand, or hold a Bible. Christ doesn't want us to do something for Him; He wants to do something through us. To be effective in His service, we need to be filled with Him. The book of Acts repeatedly describes the early Christians as being filled with the Spirit. When the apostle Paul gave reports about his missionary activities, he always talked about what the Lord had done through Him. When we labor in our own strength, we're just jousting with windmills. When we're filled with the Holy Spirit, it's as though Christ himself were ministering through us — which He is. We are His gloves, and we must let His hands fill us every day. Back to top |
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of your capacity to imitate God, but the consequence of His capacity to reproduce Himself in you." Major Ian Thomas Back to top |
A minister tells of his first Sunday in a new parish and of presenting the children's message. It seems the sanctuary in the new church had some magnificent stained glass windows, so his message centered on how each of us is called to help make up the whole picture of life (the life of the community of the faithful). Like the pictures in the windows, it takes many little panels of glass to make the whole picture. And then he said, "You see, each one of you is a little pane." And then pointing to each child, "You're a little pane. And you're a little pane. And you're a little pane. And . . ." It took a few moments before he realized why everyone was laughing so hard. |
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Lung Cancer in Women Mushrooms Eye Drops off Shelf Teachers Strike Idle Kids Clinton Wins on Budget, But More Lies Ahead Enraged Cow Injures Farmer with Axe Plane Too Close to Ground, Crash Probe Told Miners Refuse to Work after Death Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant Stolen Painting Found by Tree Two Sisters Reunited after 18 Years in Checkout Counter New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft Kids Make Nutritious Snacks Chef Throws His Heart in Helping Feed Needy Arson Suspect Held in Massachusetts Fire Ban on Soliciting Dead in Trotwood Local High School Dropout Cuts in Half New Vaccine May Contain Rabies Hospitals Are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors |
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From Alienation to Reconciliation 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 God created every person to be in a relationship with Him. Believers were, at one time, separated from Him by sin. But now, thanks to the saving work of Jesus Christ, we're reconciled to the Father. It's important to understand the path we traveled from alienation to reconciliation so we can explain the journey to others. Someone desiring a relationship with God must first understand that the gap between perfect God and sinful man is enormous. People like comparing themselves with others to illustrate how good they are. But the Lord doesn't judge on the basis of comparisons. His only standard is reconciliation. Whoever rejects salvation through Christ simply cannot spend eternity with God. There's no other way to span the gap. The cross is our bridge between alienation and reconciliation. Jesus took the world's sin upon Himself and accepted the punishment we deserved. For our sake, He gave His precious life because the penalty for sin is death. Now, any person who wants a relationship with God can have it. Believing Jesus' blood paid our sin-debt is the only requirement for crossing the bridge into relationship with the Lord. Those who have reconciled to God have His joy and mercy, instead of His wrath and condemnation. But how many of your friends and family are still living in alienation? They need to know there's a bridge to God. If you've already crossed over into a relationship with Him, wouldn't you be a good guide for them? Back to top |
When we have unresolved problems, He sometimes gives us symptoms." John Townsend |
It's always darkest before the dawn. So that's the time to steal the neighbor's newspaper. Never test the depth of the water with both feet. It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others. If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car payments. If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it. Some days you're the bug, some days you're the windshield. If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you. Going to church does not make you a Christian anymore than going to McDonald's makes you a hamburger. A coincidence is when God performs a miracle, and decides to remain anonymous. Sometimes the majority only means that all the fools are on the same side. Life is like an onion; you peel off one layer at a time and sometimes you weep. Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself. Life is 10% of what happens to you, and 90% of how you respond to it. There are two ways to get to the top of an oak tree. You can sit on an acorn and wait, or you can climb it. |
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For the Children Quick Jokes If a rooster laid an egg on the top of a barn, which way would it roll? Neither, roosters don't lay eggs. Why did the chicken cross the road? Because the rooster egged her on. Did you hear the one about the egg? It's not all it's "cracked" up to be! Why can't you tease egg whites? They can't take a yolk. Knock, Knock! Who's there? Omelette. Omelette who? Omelette smarter than I look! What do you call an egg that goes on safari? An eggs-plorer! What do you call a city of 20 million eggs? New Yolk City! What happens when you tell an egg a joke? It cracks up! What do you get when you put a Tasmanian Devil in a chicken coop? Deviled eggs! Back to top |
For the Children Cartoon Mouse Pages to Color Click on an image to open a page for printing it full-size.  .. .. .. Provided by All About Coloring Back to top |
Joe Allbright is a fair and fearless West Texas rancher, a square-jawed, rawboned man with a neck by Rawlings. In Andrews County, where I was raised, everyone knew him. One of Joe's sons, James, and I were best friends in high school. We played football together. (More honest, he played while I guarded the team bench.) One Friday night after an out-of-town game, James invited me to stay at his house. By the time we reached his property, the hour was way past midnight, and he hadn't told his father he was bringing anyone home. Mr. Allbright didn't know me or my vehicle, so when I stepped out of the car in front of his house, he popped on a floodlight and aimed it right at my face. Through the glare I saw this block of a man (I think he was in his underwear), and I heard his deep voice. "Who are you?" I gulped. My mind moved at the speed of cold honey. I started to say my name but didn't. Mr. Allbright doesn't know me. My only hope was that James would speak up. A glacier could have melted before he did so. Finally he interceded. "It's okay, Dad. That's my friend Max. He's with me." The light went off, and Mr. Allbright threw open the door. "Come on in, boys. Food is in the kitchen." What changed? What made Mr. Allbright flip off the light? One fact. I had aligned myself with his son. My sudden safety had nothing to do with my accomplishments or offerings. I knew his son. Period. For the same reason, you need never fear God's judgment. Not today. Not on Judgment Day. Jesus, in the light of God's glory, is speaking on your behalf. "That's my friend," he says. And when he does, the door of heaven opens. Trust God's love. His perfect love. Don't fear he will discover your past. He already has. Don't fear disappointing him in the future. He can show you the chapter in which you will. With perfect knowledge of the past and perfect vision of the future, he loves you perfectly in spite of both. Perfect love can handle your fear of judgment. This devotional thought excerpted from "Come Thirsty" © Copyright 2004, W Publishing Group, Max Lucado Back to top |
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My Redeemer Lives Christian Ministry™ has a vision for a great Christ awakening and revival around the world, and a passion to help bring this about, directly or indirectly, irrespective of national boundaries, languages, denominations, or ethnic, racial or social/economic castes or classes. We are a non-denominational, Christ-centered Free Church Ministry and Missions Society. In accordance with IRS Code § 508(c)(1)(A), all donations are tax-deductible. National Association of Evangelicals United Christian Ministries International Scripture taken from: King James Version (KJV), Copyright © 1990 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. New King James Version (NKJV), Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. New International Version (NIV), Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society World English Bible (WEB), 2001 MT-based public domain update of 1901 American Standard Version (ASV) Copyright © 2007. My Redeemer Lives Christian Ministry™. All rights reserved. |
